Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 13:39:46 -0500
From: Kent Mulliner <mulliner@ohio.edu>
Subject: Re: RoweCom situation -- Amanda Myers

The core issue, from a library perspective, is how rich you are.
If you can afford to pay twice for your subscriptions, then  you'd
have probably been well advised (in terms of content) to do so
back in early January.

Lacking a spare million dollars, this issue is easy from our perspective.
A library really should not expect much in money from not participating
(although I could be wrong, some figures in the press suggest that
divine has more assets than liabilities).  And a library should not need
the money within a definable time frame.  No one knows when the
RoweCom and divine bankruptcies will be cleared to actually pay.

Having waited this long, it is questionable that going direct will yield
substantial additional benefits.  I would imagine trying to get missing
issues for 600 subscriptions would be an enormous task.  In deciding
between going direct now or participating, one would have to assume
great efficiency by publishers in general to offset the loss of time and
money.

Each institution has to weigh the factors and make its own decisions,
recognizing that its decisions impact not only its users but libraries
across the nation (the amount of money available from EBSCO is
a function of how much library business is involved).  There is a
FAQ that will be posted to the RoweComCreditors list today that should
provide further info consideration of these issues.  It should also (by
tomorrow?) be available at the www.kccllc.net/rowecom site.

                  kent mulliner

At 08:46 AM 3/10/2003 -0500, you wrote:
 >Subject: Rowecom situation
 >From: AmandaMyers@ferris.edu
 >Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2003 15:13:13 -0500
 >
 >
 >Hello,
 >
 >We are trying to get a sense of whether or not it is in our best
 >interest to participate with the arrangement with EBSCO, which may
 >require waiting until April until they have received responses from all
 >of the publishers.  Divine handled not quite 600 of our subscriptions.
 >We're considering ordering direct at this point to avoid missing any
 >more issues and having to wait to hear which publishers are willing to
 >participate with the arrangement.
 >
 >How are other libraries out there planning to proceed?  The signed
 >letter of agreement was requested by March 15th and we don't feel that
 >we currently have enough information to commit to participating.
 >
 >Amanda Myers
 >Serials Librarian
 >1010 Campus Drive, FLITE 208
 >Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan 49307-2279
 >email: myersa@ferris.edu
 >phone: (231) 591-3012  fax: (231) 591-3724

K. Mulliner       Collection Development Coordinator

Ohio University Libraries                       PHONE:  740-593-2707
Athens, OH 45701-2978, USA      FAX:    740-593-2708
mulliner@ohio.edu